Friends misbehaving

What to do? Remember that your feelings are your problem - and are a result of your insecurity. Of course, if your friend is simply hanging round with you to make herself look good, then you need to pick better friends. But if she's a genuine friend to you, then be a genuine friend to her - and try to feel happy for her success rather than undermining it. Plus, work on your self-confidence - the better you feel about you, the better you'll feel about her.

Flirty friend
What's happening? She loves flirting - the problem is, her targets include your boyfriend. She may not seriously want your man but she wants to assure herself of her sexual power and that means flirting whenever possible.

What to do? Don't have a tantrum, but do warn her off. Tell her to back off.

If she persists, stop seeing her when you're with your man. If he persists, think carefully about whether you're in the right relationship.

Dominating friend
What's happening? Quite simply, she wants things her way. And probably when you first met, that was fine by you. The fact she was sure of herself made her more fun to be around. But perhaps, as time went by she became more dominant - or you became more confident. Now she's so wilful it makes it difficult for you to have a balanced friendship.

What to do? Try standing up to her. If she doesn't realise that her bossiness is irritating, then it's unfair to expect her to change.

So next time she makes a unilateral decision and expects you to follow, express your point of view. If she argues, state your case calmly. If she continues to argue, do what you want to do and invite her along.

It may help to read When Friendship Hurts, Jan Yager, published by Simon and Schuster.